Our EDI Advocates: Leela Baldeo | Susanne Baumann-Moroy | Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne | Amin Emad | Nia Fernandez | Kaila Folinsbee | Antonella Fratino | Parisa Hassani | Andrew Kirk | Fabrice Labeau | Brett Meyer| Philippe Ouzilleau | Renée Pellissier | Nasim Razavinia | Rachel Schafts | Nathalie Tufenkji | Ipek Tureli | Steve Yue
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Leela Baldeo“I manage all buildings belonging to the Faculty of Engineering. With a background in construction project coordination and facilities management, I strive to provide an inclusive and accessible environment to all. Born and raised in the Montreal community and growing up in a West Indian household, I am an active participant and volunteer in cultural activities which promote awareness on equity and diversity issues. As an equity ambassador, I hope to offer my skills and experiences to increase knowledge within our community" Macdonald Engineering Building, Room 378 Tel: 514-398-6452 Best way to reach me: Feel free to contact me by email - leela.baldeo [at] mcgill.ca
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Susanne Baumann-Moroy"I am the HR Advisor of the Faculty and a member of the “Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines". I studied business administration and labor law and have worked in the private service industry in France, the USA and Germany before I immigrated to Canada in 2006. I joined the Faculty of Engineering in 2009, my role is to support career development and ensure fair working conditions for an equitable workplace to all." Macdonald Engineering Building, Room 378 Best way to reach me: susanne.baumann-moroy [at] mcgill.ca
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Noémie-Manuelle Dorval Courchesne“I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. My research group is interested in developing new materials to solve sustainability and health challenges. I was born and raised in Québec, but I also spent 7 years in Boston (USA) for my graduate and postdoctoral studies. As a woman in STEM, the topics of equity, diversity and inclusion are very important to me on both personal and professional levels. I am committed to creating favorable learning and research environments at McGill, including in my own diverse research team. As a Faculty Equity Ambassador, I wish to contribute to the well-being of the McGill community and to promote equity principles in engineering.” M.H. Wong Building, Room 4190 Tel: 514-398-4301 Best way to reach me: Send me an email, and we will find a time to meet. You can also stop by my office and see if I am around.
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Amin Emad“I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. My research group focuses on developing machine learning approaches in bioinformatics. I was born and raised in Iran and lived in the US and western Canada before coming to McGill. I am a member of the McGill Joint Board-Senate Committee on Equity: the Subcommittee on Persons with Disabilities. Making McGill a more accessible environment for everyone is very important to me. As an Equity Ambassador I aim to support all members of our community by fostering equitable practices, celebrating diversity and ensuring inclusion.” McConnell Engineering Building, Room 755 Best way to reach me: Feel free to contact me by email - amin.emad [at] mcgill.ca
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Nia Fernandez“I am the inaugural Manager of E-IDEA (Engineering Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Advancement), overseeing the umbrella of EDI initiatives led by the Faculty of Engineering. Leveraging my multidisciplinary background in science, engineering, leadership, and social advocacy, as well as my personal lived experience, I strive to influence socially responsible and sustainable strategies. I’m passionate about integrating and normalizing EDI within the fabric of Engineering. My vision is for a consistent commitment at all levels—and especially from Engineering leadership—to catalyze organizational change and foster a more inclusive academic landscape for all.” Macdonald Engineering Building, Room 392 Tel: 514-396-1546 Best way to reach me: By email or MS Teams
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Kaila Folinsbee“My role as the Associate Director of the McGill Engineering Student Centre gives me the opportunity to meet students, staff and faculty from across the University and from many different backgrounds. MESC exists to offer academic and career support and resources to students, and I’m committed to developing and improving fair and equitable practices that support the principles of diversity and inclusion in the Faculty of Engineering. I have been working at McGill since 2016, and joined the Faculty of Engineering in 2018; I previously worked at Dawson College and Iowa State University." MaGill Engineering Student Centre Tel: 514-398-7637 Best way to reach me: Feel free to contact me by email - kaila.folinsbee [at] mcgill.ca
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Antonella Fratino"I am the Communications Officer for the Faculty of Engineering and have a background in literature, art, and communications. I am excited to be an Equity Ambassador and a Safer Space Ally in the Faculty of Engineering, as I believe raising awareness of, and engagement in, matters of diversity, inclusivity, and intersectionality is crucial in dismantling systemic inequity. I am committed to promoting a safe and fair environment for all McGill staff, students, and community members."
Best way to reach me: You can contact me by antonella.fratino [at] mcgill.ca (email) or MS Teams to set up a meeting, but I also welcome drop-ins.
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Parisa Hassani"I am currently the digital communications and outreach associate for TISED. As we look toward the future, equity, diversity, and inclusion are all issues of growing importance when discussing and implementing sustainability practices. As a first-generation Canadian, I believe that creating an environment that values EDI is imperative. As an equity ambassador, I will continue to learn about and practice these values so that McGill is a safe space for all." Email: parisa.hassani [at] mcgill.ca
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Andrew Kirk"I am professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and also Director of the McGill Institute for Advanced Materials. I was born and educated in the UK and have lived and worked in Japan, Belgium, Australia and the US in addition to Canada. During my time at McGill I have participated in and led several projects and workshops focused on improving university teaching and learning. I am very proud to be an equity ambassador for the Faculty of Engineering." McConnell Engineering Building, Room 633 Tel: 514-398-1542 Best way to reach me: Please either mail me at andrew.kirk [at] mcgill.ca so that we can arrange a time to chat, or pass by my office during my office hours (to check my current office hours please go to http://www.photonics.ece.mcgill.ca/Kirk/Kirk.html).
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Fabrice Labeau"I am a Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and also Interim Provost Student Life & Learning at McGill University. Born and raised in Belgium I immigrated to Canada in 2000. I spend a fair amount of my time volunteering for technology- and education- related institutions, and I have been involved in several equity projects at McGill Engineering in the last few years." Office of Student Life and Learning Tel: 514-398-3109 Best way to reach me: Drop me an e-mail at fabrice.labeau [at] mcgill.ca and we can find a time to chat
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Brett Meyer"I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. I was born and raised in the US, before immigrating to Canada in 2011 to join the faculty at McGill. In the US,I had the opportunity to live and work in a variety of communities, and have as a consequence become passionate about equity and social justice; I am consequently very proud to be an equity ambassador for the Faculty of Engineering.Equity and social justice are defining challenges facing society today, and I look forward to working to support our community at McGill in this role." McConnell Engineering Building, Room 525 Tel: 514-398-4210 Best way to reach me: Please send me an e-mail at brett.meyer [at] mcgill.ca, and we can find a time to talk.
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Philippe Ouzilleau"As a (new) materials engineering assistant professor, I was quickly exposed to the opportunity that equity initiatives can provide to further enhance the university experience for the entire (and diverse) McGill community. I am proud to join the present ambassador programme to contribute (to the best of my abilities) to make all McGillians feel like they belong. I like to think of myself as an open-minded individual, so feel free to write to me if you ever need to chat. As I always say, we are here to help. M. H. Wong Building, Room 2M030 Tel: 514-398-1329 Best way to reach me: Please contact me by email - philippe.ouzilleau [at] mcgill.ca
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Renée Pellissier"I am the Program Lead for the E-IDEA Teamwork Initiative. Throughout the Faculty of Engineering, I facilitate specialized workshops aimed at teaching teamwork skills and building applicable knowledge around equity, diversity, and inclusion. Originally from the Canadian Prairies, I came to Quebec to study Human Relations and Human Systems Intervention, and have since worked in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. As an EDI Advocate, I am thrilled to offer my support, skills, and enthusiasm to creating an equitable and inclusive environment." Best way to reach me: renee.pellissier [at] mcgill.ca
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Nasim Razavinia"I am the Engineering Programs Quality Assurance Lead in the Faculty of Engineering and have a formal training in engineering. Born and raised in Iran, I immigrated to Canada in 2001 and have been a part of the McGill community since then. I believe in the power of diversity of minds, talents and ideas to shape the future growth. As a Faculty Equity Ambassador, I am committed to promote an inclusive, fair and respectful environment for all members of our community." Macdonald Engineering Building, Room 386 Tel: 514-398-3865 Best way to reach me: You can contact me by email or phone to set up a meeting.
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Rachel Schafts"I joined the Engineering Career Centre as a Career Advisor/Industry Liaison Associate in September 2019, after a 15-year career in human resources, recruitment and career transition advising. I have been fortunate to work, interact and train with people from all over the world having lived and worked in the USA, UK & Canada. In all of my roles, I have always maintained a strong commitment to ensuring fair and equitable practices, and to promoting principles of inclusion and diversity. I am excited to continue these important efforts as an Equity Ambassador for the Faculty working with both students and employers." Best way to reach me: Contact me by email at rachel.schafts [at] mcgill.ca.
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Nathalie Tufenkji"I am a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering where I lead a richly diverse team of researchers working to solve problems related to environmental and public health. I am a descendent of Armenian immigrants and was born and raised in Québec. I serve as the Faculty Advisor to the McGill student chapter of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) as well as the chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE)." M.H. Wong Building Email: nathalie.tufenkji [at] mcgill.ca
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Ipek Türeli"I am an Associate Professor of Architecture and Canada Research Chair in Architectures of Spatial Justice. I have been teaching and researching about equity, diversity and inclusivity in the discipline and profession of architecture for a number of years. In relationship to this work, I have coordinated the Democracy, Space and Technology Research Group under the Yan P. Lin Centre. I am committed to making the School of Architecture a more family-friendly space; and recently formed a reading group with some of our graduate students on Race|Space to figure out how we can come up with actionable steps in making our School and institution more diverse and inclusive and in how we can decolonize our curriculum. As an equity ambassador, I hope to learn from colleagues and students and to work together to better our institution."
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Steve Yue"I've been prof at McGill for over 30 years, at various levels of bureaucracy, including Chairman of the Department, but I've been sensitive to equity and diversity since growing up in the north west of England in the fifties. I like to think I'm approachable and empathetic, but you can find out first hand!" Pavillion M.H. Wong E-mail: steve.yue [at] mcgill.ca Best way to reach me: e-mail is best; steve.yue [at] mcgill.ca
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McGill University - and thus our Faculty - is on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations, a place which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations.